LAFCU employees were serving up financial reality at Lansing Christian School in May.
To help seniors better understand personal finance, the Michigan credit union presented a 1.5-hour Financial Reality Fair that tasked students to create real-life financial budgets for living independently.
“We value LAFCU’s partnership in helping equip students with the essential skills of financial stewardship,” said Andrew Kleyn, Lansing Christian middle and high school principal. “Having guidance from financial specialists is welcomed as a complement to our wholistic curriculum.”
Students were provided estimated salaries, based on pre-selected careers, and assigned credit scores. They then visited 12 booths, staffed by LAFCU employees and Lansing Christian faculty members, to identify expenses likely to be incurred. At the final station, booth No. 13, a LAFCU financial counselor helped students explore ways to improve their financial decision-making.
The May event was the third annual fair for the school’s senior class, though the first since the pandemic.
“Every-day decisions greatly impact our financial stability,” said Shelia Scott, LAFCU community financial education & business development officer. “The fair provides the opportunity for students to see what happens when those singular choices are combined into an overall budget. This educational outreach is important to LAFCU as it supports LAFCU’s philosophy of being a ‘Credit Union for Life.’”
LAFCU Financial Reality Fairs are presented with assistance from Michigan Credit Union Foundation, which offers materials and training designed to have a lasting impact on the financial understanding of teens.
Volunteering to help students learn the skills of financial stewardship are LAFCU employees, from left, Britney Weber, Robyn Howell, Kellie Swiger, Christine Wood, Alyssa Troub, Shelia Scott and Zac Williams.
At the final booth of the Financial Reality Fair, Christine Wood, LAFCU executive administrative assistant, counsels a student on how he might improve his financial decision-making after reviewing his budget for living independently as an adult.
Robyn Howell, LAFCU chief human resources officer, listens to a student during the LAFCU Financial Reality Fair at Lansing Christian School.
Suzi Kruger, LAFCU senior member service representative, discusses how lifestyle choice impacts one’s budget.